


An Unexpected Blessing

by magician



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Hanukkah, M/M, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 12:57:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16787410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magician/pseuds/magician
Summary: Blair gets a package a couple of days before Hanukkah





	An Unexpected Blessing

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [ainm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainm/pseuds/ainm) in the [2018_TSSS_DrabbleDays](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2018_TSSS_DrabbleDays) collection. 



> **Prompt:** **Hanukkah** \- due 2nd Dec/revealed 3rd Dec (1st full day of Hanukkah)

Blair walked in the apartment door, heaving a sigh of relief as he shrugged off the day's stresses.   
  
"Hey, how'd it go?" Jim asked from the kitchen. "Sorry I couldn't be there."  
  
Blair smiled tenderly. "You know, you don't have to hold my hand every time I appear in court. I know you had to follow up on the Stanfield witnesses. Court was long, but my testimony went well. Based on what I could tell, Brandon Grant is going to prison for the rest of his life." He walked over to Jim and gave him a long kiss. "Something smells delicious."  
  
Jim pulled him in for a deeper kiss, then said, "Eggplant parm. Seemed like the weather for it."  
  
"And you know it's one of my favorites. Thanks, babe. Do I have time for a shower?"  
  
"Yeah, but first look on the coffee table. There's a big box waiting for you. I don't recognize the return address, but it's Naomi's writing."  
  
Curiosity piqued, Blair grabbed a steak knife and walked over to the package. "Wonder what it could be?" He slit open the tape and pulled out a card. He read out loud, "Sweetie, Mom is finally cleaning out Bubbie's house and she thought you'd like this. It's going to take quite a while, so if you want to come down and see if there's anything else you'd like, we'd love to see you. Love, Mom."  
  
"Bubbie," Jim said. "That's your grandmother?"  
  
"My great-grandmother," Blair answered, as he started pulling out the packing material. "Mom's grandmother. After Zeyde died, she stayed in their house. She passed away a couple of years ago, but Grandma didn't have the energy to go through all their things. I guess Naomi volunteered to help. I expect it will take a lot of time -- she was quite a collector."   
  
Jim walked over just as Blair was pulling out something in a cloth bag. Blair looked inside the bag and gasped. "Oh my god, Bubbie's hanukkiah!" he exclaimed, as he pulled out the large candelabra. He handed it to Jim, who admired the intricate designs that covered every inch. "It's beautiful, Chief." He hefted it. "It feels like solid silver."  
  
Blair nodded. "It is. The flannel bag is permeated with a compound that slows down tarnishing. I think just a light cleaning and it'll be ready to use." He sighed. "When I was growing up, Bubbie insisted that we come over at least one of the nights to light the candle and say the prayers. She always made a feast -- brisket, latkes, blintzes, sufganiyot, noodle kugel." He stared dreamily. "She made the best matzo ball soup -- I swear I can still taste it. She used a cookbook and I remember she wrote in it -- probably modifying the recipes. I wonder if it's still there."  
  
Jim put down the hanukkiah and enveloped Blair in an embrace. "Maybe we can go down there and find it, what do you think?"  
  
Blair looked up, a mixture of surprise and joy on his face. "I think you come up with the best ideas."  
  
"I have my moments." Jim smiled at the man he loved more than life. "So, since we've got a couple of days 'til Hanukkah, we can go out tomorrow and buy candles and silver polish. Maybe get a brisket and some potatoes for the latkes?" Blair nodded. "In the meantime, since for once you actually have a way to contact Naomi, you can let her know the hanukkiah arrived and tell her we're coming down. Then you can grab a shower and we'll have dinner." He walked over to the oven and lowered the temperature, then snagged a bottle of wine and a corkscrew.  
  
Blair picked up two glasses from the table. As Jim filled them, Blair teased, "You know, you're the best Hanukkah gift I ever got." They kissed once more, then clinked their glasses and drank.  
  
Blair walked over to the phone and dialed. "Mom? Yeah, I did. … We love it -- it's even more beautiful than I remember. … We're going to set it up tomorrow. … Listen, Ma, we were thinking about coming down there. … Yeah, exactly. … I'll call you when we've made arrangements." Blair swallowed a lump as he listened to his mother. "I can't wait to see you and Grandma. I love you, Mom." He hung up and for a moment held the phone to his heart. Smiling, he stroked the hanukkiah once, the stresses of the day forgotten as he looked forward to the evening with Jim.

**Author's Note:**

> picture courtesy of ebay


End file.
